GUC : Kings Langley to Berkhamsted

Time to continue along the Grand Union Canal or, as we shall see towards the end, the ‘Grand Junction Canal’.

Starting place is Kings Langley.

Home Park Lock

The weather started off a bit grey for this early October walk. Though it brightened up later.

Dinosaur near Kings Langley

One feature of this section of the canal is the frequency of having to swap sides vai bridges as the towpath swaps from one bank to the other.

Bridge 158

Kings Langley

Canal boat hire

Bridge 154

Apsley was going to be the end of the previous section of the walk but I ran out of time – as I approached Kings Langley I calculated I had another hour or so to get to Apsley – undertaking the section today did actually take about an hour, so I was right on the previous walk to stop where and when I did or I would have been quite late getting home.

Apsley Marina

Apsley Lock Marina

Swing bridge at Marina

Lock 65

As I got past Hemel Hempstead, the grey clouds which had dominated the walk since the start began to thin and roll away.

Clouds moving away

Blue skies approaching

Canal bend at Boxmoor

More blue skies on the approach to Winkwell

Around Winkwell there are some lovely pubs and the scenery is quite pretty, especially as the sky started to turn blue.

Winkwell railway bridge

Winkwell dock

Winkwell dock

Winkwell swing bridge (147)

Approaching Bourne End

Canalside houses at Bourne end

Winkwell lock is a bit overgrown on the gates

Canal widens near the Pix Farm

After Winkwell the sun was out and all the colours of the countryside came to life.

Scenic reflections

Bridge 145

Bottom Side Lock (57)

It was a fairly quiet walk – not too many other people out this day.

Descending from the cross-over at bridge 143

Entering Berkhamsted

Grand Junction Canal = Grand Union Canal

Ravens Lane Lock

Old building with decorations related to the opening of the Canal

The walk ended at Berkhamsted with a short diversion to get to the railway station.